If I do wear shoes, sneakers (some type of footwear) have I then cut myself off from ~chi~ (sic. direct physical contact with the chi in the ground)? Is there any kind of consensus on this issue from the Internal Martial Community? Is there a Japanese/Chinese difference in this particular issue... ?

The second issue... what do practitioners say re: artificial parts, (reconstruction; vertabrae, bones, perhaps muscle) metal plates, screws, bolts, etc. If I needed reconstruction with a vertabrae, needed a rod, pins, etc., had reconstructive surgery of some kind...what does that mean in terms of preventing/enhansing the "normal" correct flow of chi long term?

Are people who required such surgical proceedures severely inhibited in some manner by traditional thinking in terms of their chi flow?

Thats a nice way of putting it, thank you. (You sounded like Kwai-Chang there for a heartbeat ) I'm not sure what to think exactly, hense my questions on both counts. Hoping folks who's "arena" this is will be able to offer more context, more detail.

As a pragmatic matter, shoes-footwear mean safe feet. As a chi issue I wonder if that accounts for the difference between footwear in Okinawan-Japanese training vs. other arts of other cultures?

As for the surgery, shoes hopefully some others will jump in. Thank you for your thoughts!

It is usual for the sifu to insist on proper footwear in HK my footwear was always inspected before training for hygiene, safety and to make sure that the complete sole of the foot would make contact with the ground and give unlimited movement to the ankle. Thus kung fu slippers, plimsolls or deck shoes were the best choices.

This year I had a double knee replacement and I can assure you that energy travels through the titanium and polythene extremely well.

Yes, use cloth-soled (non-rubber soled) shoes. I am not sure whether these shoes, manufactured mostly in Tienjin, China, are sold widely in the west (there are really cheap, about US$6 in this region) Your can feel the ground so much more than rubber-soled ones.

Foriegn non-bio parts in the body? As Bossman said, no problem at all. I have had chest surgery where a couple of upper torso ribs were taken out and had the 'hole' covered up with some plastic held together with metallic clips; I can see those clips on the X-Ray. There have no effect or interference on my practice.

I don't know about the effect of shoes - we don't wear them for our training [karate] but I do know that when treating with Reiki I cannot feel anything through metal so I would say that this interrupts the flow somehow.

I'd also back off the heavy strechting and build toward flexibilty slowly again, dbl knee reconstruction and you are still swinging away studying the Arts you love. How do you feel when being pushed and bent in training do notice a stiffiest in your knees. Do you have to lifting your leg straight up and then recapture your balance? Or do you avoid such violient body shifting.

You are a trooper but standing motionless CHI meditation might be best now and make your basics devastating. The metal many add strength but I doubt if it will help you flow or your leg be flexibile, because unlike ligament which strenches metal can not. Are you limited I'd say, Yes, should it stop you from training, No.

A couple Doctors told me quit years ago, due to slow healing, but they recommended exercise I can't think of a better exercises then the Martial Arts. Keep trucking baby!!

It's a 52 week recovery period and I'm only 20 weeks into it. Learning to stand and walk again was the hardest part, I've been doing my physio, core exercises, qigong and can only stumble around my own version of the form at the moment, but i think that by next Spring I should have made a 100% recovery and be better than I was before.

I've still managed to teach classes and courses including international courses from a chair with a bit of standing.

Bossman you are a real tropper, have you heard about the motionless Chi building meditation. I've hear its the highest form of Chi training. It might put a strain on your knees being frozen in one position, but it won't jar them. 20 months and 32 to go, good luck and I know you been told don't reinjury your KNEES, pleases.

By spring less hope you will be fit as a fiddle, but 100% is optimistic. You can do it if anybody can but 80-85% is a safe bet. 100% is a goal to shot for anywhere close is success.